Letting in the Dark
by Desktop Warrior
Summary: On this night, the world of the living and that of the spirits are closest together. What does today mean for the people of True Cross Academy? Happy Halloween, all.


**A/N:** Submitted for the **Halloween** Challenge, part of the RLt's Green Room event. Details for this challenge may be found at The Reviews Lounge, Too forum, under the thread Fall Event: The RLt Green Room.

* * *

**Letting in the Dark**

"Ah, Halloween."

Mephisto Pheles opened his arms expansively as he gazed out the window of his office at the multitudes below. Sure, Japanese didn't 'officially' celebrate Halloween, but that didn't stop much of the student body (and not a few of the teachers) from painstakingly crafting a variety of colourful disguises to wear outside on this most ominous day.

"Today," Mephisto intoned, "is when Assiah and Gehenna are closest together, when the two halves of a whole touch at mirror's edge. Look at the throngs milling about as I watch them from above – _look,_ I say. Yes, over here." An airy sigh. "Do you not think that they are all still afraid of the darkness? They know that on this day, beings from the Otherworld wander the Earth. They are desensitized, yes, making the holiday into yet another occasion of bacchanals and debauchery. What are Christmas, New Year's, Golden Week, the feast days…? But today, everyone knows in the subconscious embedded through the eons of humanity's evolution that they are driving out the night, even as they brazenly wander through it.

"Why aren't you saying anything- hey, that's my candy!"

Amaimon, seventh in Gehenna's hierarchy and King of Earth, wordlessly dug into a pumpkin-shaped container and shoved another candy into his mouth, a blank stare on his features. It was about all the emotion he could express in this body, the possession of it having caused a few discrepancies in that regard. "I like Halloween," he said in a voice as passive as his face. "We get lots of sweets today."

"Here I am, expounding on the meaning of this holiday for all in our attentive audience to hear, and you're sneaking through my candy, you little thief!?" Mephisto gestured to no one in particular. "Be a good listener like everyone else!"

"Who are you talking to, _ani-ue_?" Amaimon didn't deign to give his brother even a cursory glance, delicately unwrapping a little chocolate and eating it whole. "Anyway, we're already here whenever we want to be. It's only smaller demons who pass more easily into Assiah today. Mmm…I don't think humans are all that bad if they give out candy one day of the year.

Mephisto harrumphed, snatching his container away from Amaimon and eating a candy himself. "Halloween," he said solemnly, his tone comical in the context of his flashy clothes, "is not just _treats_, my dear brother. There must be _tricks,_ or it is just gluttony." He snapped his fingers, and a telescope with a pumpkin-shaped lens and bat wings on the sides appeared, floating in mid-air. He gently caressed the flapping wings to calm them down, then stared through the telescope. His eyes alighted on a certain rough-looking young man who was in the midst of animated conversation with his friends.

"Look here, if you please."

Amaimon poked an eye through the lens. "Okumura again?" he whined. "_Ani-ue,_ don't you ever get tired of him?"

"It has occurred to me," said Mephisto, "that I have not been a proper role model to the boy. As his older brother, it is my responsibility to facilitate his journey to adulthood. He must be properly educated if he is to avoid descending further into faux pas."

He turned to Amaimon with a swish of his white cape. "Come! We must find suitably flamboyant attire for me to make an impression! There is work to be done."

"You're already wearing something flamboyant." Amaimon's deadpan was an accurate expression this time.

"Work with me here, Amaimon! Tonight, we must turn True Cross Academy on its heel."

* * *

"A…Halloween festival?" Rin said as he and the other ExWires sat at their usual spot in the park during lunch.

That clown Mephisto had surprised them all this morning by holding an impromptu meeting in the main auditorium. His outfit had been even more outrageous than usual; he'd appeared in a suit of neon green, pink, and purple, with a glittering purple hat and diamond-topped cane to go with it. Today was Halloween, he'd explained, and the occasion must be properly celebrated with a massive, school-wide party. There would be food, games, and music. Best of all, he'd said, the dorms would accept trick-or-treaters, going around and asking for candy. "I shall arrange for everything myself!" he'd exclaimed with a flourish. "So do not trouble yourselves with finding the necessary materials!"

It was amazing what True Cross Academy could do on such short notice. Within just a few hours, the campus was decked out in festive cheer. Classes were cancelled as everyone got to work preparing for a night of spooky-themed fun.

"Hmm…I'm not sure what to make of it," Rin mused, wolfing down the contents of his _bentou_. "Is it an omen?"

"You should be overjoyed, Okumura," said Shima, taking a bite of his sandwich. "Mm. Halloween is like Christmas for demons, no?"

Rin's eyes flashed dangerously. "Take that back!" he growled. "Besides, we never celebrated it at home, you know? Even though we were raised Christian."

Suguro didn't like the idea, either, though for different reasons. "This is an evil ritual!" he said, pounding a vehement fist on the ground. "Why are we wasting time with something that's not even Japanese? Are we going to be buried by Western culture now and let our own traditions fade away."

"Easy, Bon," said Konekomaru disarmingly. "As if that would ever happen. Don't get worked up over it."

"Who's getting worked up?" Suguro gobbled a bite of steamed fish, frowning.

"Please don't dismiss it out of hand, Suguro-san!" said Shiemi. "A lot of cultures observe the winter solstice. You know what they say. That today, the barrier between the spirit world and the human world is at its weakest. That's why we dress up, so the spirits will think we're like them and won't take us away."

"Eh…I guess I can understand that," Suguro grumbled. "But this is overkill." He waved around, gesturing at the black-and-orange décor.

Izumo shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me. I'm going to this stupid party, anyway."

"Come on, Izumo-chan," said Shima, smiling at her invitingly. "There'll be many beautiful girls out tonight, and you'll be the prettiest."

"Die, you pervert."

"See this?" said Suguro as Shima and Izumo bantered. "This is all Satan's work!" He blinked, realizing his wrong choice of words. "Oh, sorry. No offence, Okumura."

"That's okay," said Rin. But his reply was subdued.

"Oi…you're not really upset now, are you?" Suguro noted the pensive look that suddenly formed on Rin's face.

"Rin," said Shiemi, smiling at him. "It's not really a celebration of evil, you know. In fact, I think of the party more like a display of life. How, even in the darkest times, we can all get together and have fun."

"Shiemi…" Indeed, that was what Rin had been thinking about, though he hadn't wanted to show it.

Suguro gave him a knowing chuckle. "I know how this goes, Okumura. You cheer up, and then somehow, you drag us all along into one of these things. Heh…whatever. I'm in."

Rin smiled, then pounded a fist into his palm. "Alright! Let's do it!"

* * *

"Trick-or-treat!"

The ExWires held out bags full of candy as Paku Noriko answered the door. "You guys came!" she said, giving them each a couple boxes of _dango_. "I was looking forward to it all night."

Rin laughed. "Sorry, Paku-chan! We got so caught up in the party that we only just started making our rounds. You know how many persimmons I got bobbing? And they had pumpkin juice and a haunted house and MepphyLand was open and…"

"I'm glad you decided to go and have fun, Izumo," said Paku as Rin rambled on, mostly to anyone who would listen at this point.

"I-I just thought you needed some alone time!" Izumo protested. "You said you were going to get caught up on physics."

"I didn't have that much work," Paku said, smiling. "I just made it sound like I had a lot so you wouldn't worry about me while you went out and enjoyed yourself. I think you look really beautiful in that _miko_ dress, Izumo-chan."

"Paku…" Izumo was touched by her best friend's thoughtfulness.

"Doesn't she?" said Shima, echoing Paku's sentiments in his own way. "I'm so happy she graced us with her presence tonight!"

"Be quiet, toilet paper boy," Izumo growled warningly.

"I'm a mummy! You know, like they have in Egypt?"

"Anyway," said Suguro, who had opted for a simple set of monk's robes. "You should come with us, Paku."

Her eyes widened. "You want me to come with you? But who'll answer the trick-or-treaters?"

"Don't worry about it, silly," said Run. He swished his cape theatrically, baring his (very real) fangs. "Come, join us in the night!"

"You're a bit too realistic there, Okumura-san…" Konekomaru said weakly, though he was caught up in the excitement, cat costume and all.

"Ah…okay, then!" Paku decided. "I don't have a costume, but I guess we can find something along the way. By the way, Shiemi-chan, did you make that giant pumpkin yourself?"

The Halloween event was a huge success. True Cross Academy had started celebrating even before the last decorations had been set up. It would be a hassle to remove these tomorrow morning, but no one thought about that tonight. They revelled in the excitement, getting bags of treats from the few people left in the dorms, dancing to music from giant speakers, bobbing for persimmons (in a Japanese twist on a Western classic), and playing other seasonal games. MepphyLand, True Cross Academy's very own theme park, had taken on a horror approach that night, the rides all enhanced for maximum thrills.

Amid the lights and music and good cheer, it was the ExWires who had the most fun (supervised by an exhausted but resigned Yukio, who'd dressed quite appropriately in a charcoal gray suit). Even the recalcitrant Suguro and Izumo managed to enjoy themselves.

Presiding over it all and pleased with his handiwork, Mephisto smiled.

"Do you see?" he said, gazing out his window and basking in the glow of countless orange lights. "This is what the day should be for humanity: a time of celebration. We demons are ever-present, most so on this night. But do you see a single demon – a real one – causing mischief and mayhem? Even the tiniest Coal Tar? No…they recognize humans as their kin tonight. How ironic, that it is humanity's fear, manifested in colour and sound and light, that keeps them safe. They keep out the dark by letting it in."

He extended a hand. "Come. Let us go out into the night."


End file.
